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2006 WORLD CUP
GROUP F
By
Jim Allen
Outsports.com
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SUMMARY |
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Unless something catastrophic
happens -- Ronaldinho tears an ACL in the first five minutes of
the first match would be a good example -- Brazil will probably
use these group matches against weak opponents as warmup
matches. Conspiracy theorists have been nattering on about
FIFA guaranteeing the Samba Boys an easy route to the Round of
16 (Brazil = TV ratings) by grouping them with who they have, but
that ignores the fact that Brazil doesn't need the help.
Croatia are tough and experienced, look for them to be the
second team from this group to advance. |
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AUSTRALIA |
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Hot
Player: Scott Chipperfield
FIFA Ranking:
42
Manager (nationality): Guus
Hiddink (Netherlands)
Key Players:
Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka (forwards); Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton
(midfielders); Lucas Neill, Tony Popovic (defenders); Mark
Schwarzer
(goalkeeper)
Overview: One of the biggest
cliches in all of sports is the old standby "We're just happy to
be here!". Translation: we suck and are going home after
three matches. Now, in Australia's case, that's very
likely but the cliche rings true for them. The Socceroos
were poised to join the party in Korea/Japan in 2002 but a
heartbreaking loss for the final spot in the field of 32 to
Uruguay put paid to those ideas. Like the United States,
the Socceroos are decidedly third class citizens in their
homeland's sporting universe, as Aussie rules football and the
superb Australian cricket team dominate the sporting headlines
Down Under.
Now that they've made it, what
chances do Australia have? In this group, very little.
There are some good players on the team, to be sure: Harry
Kewell has had a career renaissance in Liverpool, Mark Viduka
can score goals and Tim Cahill is a fiery midfielder who can
score goals and Mark Schwarzer is an excellent goalkeeper.
Unfortunately, the rest of the squad isn't really that deep, so
for Australia to even get a tie out of the tournament would be a
moral victory of sorts. Shame, that, as a deep Australian
run in the tournament would allow their fun-loving fans to
spread some Aussie cheer in Germany.
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BRAZIL |
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Hot
Player: Cafu
FIFA Ranking:
1
Manager (nationality): Carlos
Alberto Parreira (Brazil)
Key Players:
Ronaldo, Robinho (forwards); Ronaldinho, Kaka (midfielders);
Cafu, Roberto Carlos (defenders); Dida (goalkeeper)
Overview: I saw Brazil play a
friendly against Jamaica here in Los Angeles a few years ago.
It was basically the C team, but still, what a team! They
scored a goal that I couldn't even recap as the ball just
smoothly went around the pitch before ending up on the boot of a
wide open Brazilian forward, who promptly whipped the ball past
the helpless Jamaican keeper. My jaw, and those of many
around me, was on the ground in disbelief after that.
Bottom line, if Brazil are even tied
in this tournament, it would be major news. They have
arguably the best player in the world right now in Ronaldinho.
He was a major factor in Korea/Japan in 2002 and scarily enough,
his move to Spanish giants Barcelona has only polished his game
even further. Ronaldo is obviously in decline -- one
British football board I go to calls him Fat Ron -- but he can
still conjur up goals out of thin air. Add in All-Stars at
every other position, including but not limited to, Cafu, Kaka
and Dida, a fine coach who seems to have survived the vicious
Brazilian press and seemingly no team strife and the path is
clear for Brazil to win a sixth World Cup.
I know my DVR will be set to record all their matches just for
the sheer joy of watching them play such positive, technically
superb football. AND they have some of the best player
names in all of sports, hands down.
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CROATIA |
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 Hot
Player: Robert Kovac
FIFA Ranking:
23
Manager (nationality): Zlatko
Kranjcar (Croatia)
Key Players:
Dado Prso, Ivan Klasnic (forwards); Darijo Srna, Marko Babic
(midfielders); Robert Kovac, Dario Simic (defenders); Stipe
Pletikosa (goalkeeper)
Overview: In the American
version of football -- or gridiron as its called outside of U.S.
borders -- fans will hold up paper D's and a fence to exhort
their team to play defense. I doubt that the passionate
Croatian supporters will do that in Germany, but defense is what
is going to propel Croatia's World Cup hopes.
In Robert Kovac and Igor Tudor, the
Croats boast one of the most solid central defender pairings in
the whole tournament. The pride themselves on keeping
clean sheets and this may be out of tactical necessity due to
the fact that they don't really have much firepower up front.
Dado Prso will be counted on to supply the goals, but Darijo
Srna can score goals from the midfield as well. Expect
accusations of "negative football" and "ugly crap football" to
be slung Croatia's way, but they have a good chance of making
the Round of 16 and as we all know from American team sports, a
solid defense can take you far in championship tournaments.
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JAPAN |
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 Hot
Player: Koji Nakata
FIFA Ranking:
18
Manager (nationality): Zico
(Brazil)
Key Players:
Atsushi Yanagisawa, Keiji Tamada (forwards); Hidetoshi Nakata,
Shunsuke Nakamura (midfields); Makoto Tanaka, Koji Nakata
(defenders); Seigo Narazaki (goalkeeper)
Overview: Japan were
overshadowed by neighbors Korea in the jointly held Korea/Japan
World Cup of 2002 and they surely want to prove that they are
second to none when it comes to Asian footballing powers.
The quality of their play has increased in every World Cup
they've played in since their first trip in 1998 and I suspect
that making the Round of 16 would be considered a positive
showing for the them.
Japan's strength is their midfield,
with Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura offering some
quality play in international matches and at club level.
However, the defense has question marks and the strikers haven't
proven that they can score consistently at the highest levels.
Japan is going to have to rely on conditioning, team cohesion
and no foolish mistakes at the back if they hope to advance.
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